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  • Washington Highlights

    AAMC Joins Organizations in Comment Letter to CMS Regarding ACOs

    Gayle Lee, Director, Physician Payment & Quality
    For Media Inquiries

    The AAMC joined 10 other organizations in comments submitted on Sept. 1 to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to Accountable Care Organization (ACO) proposals included in the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. The groups commended the agency’s work to increase participation in ACOs in Medicare and expressed appreciation for many of the proposed changes in the rule.

    The letter asked the CMS to expand the types of ACOs that can receive advanced investment payments, reduce the high and low revenue distinction to address the characteristics of beneficiaries in the ACO, allow existing ACOs to opt-in to proposed benchmarking and risk adjustment policies, and reconsider the timeline for requiring electronic clinical quality measures quality reporting and limit reporting to ACO populations. The letter also expressed concern with the end of the 5% Advanced Alternative Payment Model bonus payments in 2023 performance year and asked CMS leadership to work with Congress to support an extension of these bonus payments.

    On Sept. 6, the AAMC submitted extensive comments to ​the CMS that included recommendations on numerous additional provisions in the rule [refer to related story]. A final rule is expected to be released by the CMS around Nov. 1.